Council to vote on judge appointment

City Council is expected to vote at its next meeting to appoint Wendy Garrison as a Springfield Municipal Court judge.

If approved, Garrison would succeed Judge Becky Borthwick, who in April 2016 was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to the 31st Judicial Circuit, which covers Greene County. According to a news release, council is scheduled to vote Jan. 16, which would allow Garrison to start Jan. 30.

Garrison would serve a four-year term expiring Jan. 30, 2022. She’s worked from Springfield since 2010 as an assistant public defender for the state of Missouri, and from 2002-10, she was a partner in the law firm of Twibell, Johnson, Johnson & Garrison.

“We are pleased that Wendy has chosen to continue her career in public service by joining Judge Todd Thornhill and the team at Municipal Court,” Springfield City Manager Greg Burris said in the release.

Garrison would join a court with an annual budget of $2 million that hears cases on driving while intoxicated, common assault and probation hearings, among other issues, according to its website.